Heating, drying, and air conditioning apparatus



E. B. HOUGH Nov. 20, 1945.

HEATING, DRYING, AND AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18, 1945 2 SheQtS-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. [14m 6. Hal/m7:

HTTUHNEV Nov. 20, 1945. a HQUGH 2,389,433

HEATING, DRYING, AND AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 18, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. [4/4 4 6? Hal/5,

HTTU/F/VEV Patented Nov. 20, 1945 UNiTED STATES PATENT orrice HEATING, DRYING, AND AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS 50mins.

l'bis invention relates to heating, drying, and air conditioning apparatus, and has particular reference to a cabinet unit which includes a drying apparatus for laundry or dry cleaning, an air heating and circulating apparatus, and a water heater, together with suitable controls therefor.

Principal objects of the invention are:

To provide a combination unit which is constructed and arranged so as to circulate and/or heat air, to dry or process laundry or dry cleaning. and to heat water;

To provide a compact, simple and efflcient unit for performing the several functions herein referred to:

To provide a combination laundry drier and air heater with means for selectively controlling the operation thereof; and

To provide a laundry drier with means by which the same may be used for processing laundry or other material in an atmosphere of steam or other vapor for sanitation purposes.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, of which there are two sheets and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevatlonai view of a device embodying the invention, with parts broken away and others illustrated in section in order to show the construction and operation of the device; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along the staggered line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

As illustrated in the embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration, the device comprises in general a cabinet ill forming a housing and support for a rotary drier or tumbler drum ii, an air circulating unit il, a heat gencrating and heat exchange device It, and a water heater II.

The cabinet, as illustrated, may be rectangular in cross section. having front and rear walls and 22, side walls 24 and 26, top wall", and bottom wall Ill constructed in any suitable fashion. The interior of the cabinet is divided by suitable partitions into a compartment 32 in which a rotary drier I2 is arranged. a compartment 14 in which the air circulating unit is arranged. and a compartment 36 in which the heat generating and heat exchange device is arranged.

The compartment 32. as illustrated, is cylindrical in form and is defined by circular wall 38. front wall 40, and rear wall H. An opening 44 at the upper end of the compartment 32 provides a discharge outlet therefrom, while an opening l! in the cylindrical wall at the lower end of the compartment provides an inlet therefor. Within the compartment I:- a rotary drier l is arranged for rotation on a horizontal axis. The rotary drier ll includes a foraminated cylindrical wall through which air can freely circulate. and front and rear walls ill and 52. Rear wall 52 is provided with a spindle I4 iournaled in bearing It which is carried by the rear wall I: of the compartment, while front wall 50 is provided with a neck 50, the outer surface of which is supported by roller bearings ill suitably carried by the front wall II ofthe compartment.

The bearings ill and neck 58 rotatabiy support the front end of the rotary drier 48, while the spindle II and bearing ttrotatably support the rear end of the rotary drier. The neck il extends through a suitable ing formed in the wall ll and provides for s to the interior of the rotary drier ll in order to insert, and remove material therefrom. This access opening is adapted to be closed by a cover 62 hinged at El to the front wall 20 of the cabinet. and a suitable lock 68 is provided for securing the cover I: in closed position.

A suitable running seal (not shown) may be provided between the outside of the neck to and the opening in the wall 40 through which it extends so as to prevent the escape of air or other vapors from the compartment 32 into the space enclosed by the outer shell of the cabinet.

The inside of the circular wail of the drier It may be provided with a plurality of axially extending belles t8 spaced from each other so as to cause the laundry or other material which is arranged in the drier 48 for processing to be tumbled upon rotation of the drier.

The spindle II projects beyond the bearing it and has a pulley l0 aflixed thereto for rotation therewith. Pulley III is adapted to be driven by a belt I! which in turn is driven by a pulley 14 mounted upon a shaft 16. The shaft 16 is an idler shaft which is carried by an arm II suitably supported through a pin and slot connection Ill, and a spring 82 is connected to the arm 18 in such a manner as to tension the belt 12 and position the pulley 14. Another pulley 84 is arranged on the shaft 16 for rotation with the pulley I4, and this pulley N is driven by a belt 85 which in turn is driven by a pulley 88 which is journaled on the shaft of motor 32.

A clutch 94 is arranged between the shaft 9D and the pulley llli, and this clutch may comprise a dog clutch member 96 which is slidably splined on the shaft III and which has axially extending clutch teeth cooperable with complunentarily iormedclutchteethonthcpulleybliordriving the same. The clutch ll, as illustrated in Fig. 2, isengagedandisadaptedtob'edilcngbgcdbya fork II which runs in a groove in the clutch memberltandwhichisadaptedtoshiitthc sametotherightsoastodiscng letheteeth of the clutch ll in order to break the driving connection between the motor I! and the, drier ll.

The fork it comprises a bellcrlmbwhich is pivoted at m; the other arm or the bellcrank being connected to one end or a link II! the other end of which is connected to an arm I ot a rock or control shaft iii, the shaft I having ahandie ill at the front oi the cabinet by means 0! which the mechanism iust described may be onerated so as to en age or disengage the clutch ll.

The handle III! is provided with a pawl III which is selectively engageable with notches III and ill iormed in a quadrant lit for positioning the handle in either of its two positions.

The air circulating unit i4 comprisesa blower Ill. the tan or rotor oi which may be directly connected with the shaft of the motor I so as to be driven thereby. The blower ill is arranged in the compartment I4 and has its intake ill arranged to draw in air from the compartment 3!. The compartment I4 is formed between the inside wall of the cabinet I0 and the outside wall 01' the drier compartment II and is provided with inlet openings ill .in which filters II. are arranged i'or filtering the air priorto its entry into the compartment 34. The iilters III may-be removably arranged in the inlet openings III which may be formed in the rear wall of the cabinet II.

The discharge outlet Ill or the blower ill is arranged so as to deliver air into the compartment it. The compartment" is arranged below the compartment 12 and deilned by a generally horizontally extending wall ll! which extends between the walls ill and I2, and a generally vertically' extending wall Ill depending from the wall ilil and closing the space therebeiow and between the walls ll and 42. The blower discharge II! is aligned with a suitable opening in the wall iii. The other side wall of the compartment II is formed by a part oi the side wall 2! oi the cabinet, and such part oi the side wall 2', as well as the vertical wall Ill, may have heat insulation I38 aflixed thereto.

The heat generating and heat exchange device it may comprise a combustion chamber "I in which a. fuel burning means ill is arranged. The walls oi the combustion chamber I" are defined by a metallic shell ill having flue outlet I connected to a pipe in which leads to a suitable vent. While the fuel burning means, as illustrated, may comprise a gas burner which is adapted to be supplied with fuel under the control of a valve I, any desirable or suitable form of fuel burning means and control therefor may be employed. Operation oi the burner Ill will generate heated products of combustion, thereby heating the shell I42 which functions as a heat exchanger and which is exposed to the air which is circulated through the compartment 36 by the blower I20. Water heating coil it may be arranged in the combustion chamber ill i'or heating water, and this water heater il may be connected in any conventional manner to the water system of the buildin or dwelling in which the device is arranged.

The compartment 86 is provided with two outlets. one formed by the inlet 46 to the drier compartment 32, and the other I" which communi- .2 f; oneness the position or the valve m is controlled by the handle Ill which also controls the clutch I so thatitthemotorliisoperatinmtheblowerlllls circulating air through the compartment II and through the drier compartment II, and through.

the discharge ll therefrom, while at the same timethedrlvingconnection between the motor I: andthedrier liisretatingthesame.

flhiitingoitheh'andls llltotheposition in whielithepawi lilwlllensacethenotch lllwill disengagetbeclutchflasweilasshiitthe valve ill to close the opening ll, thereby permitting theairwhich circulates through the compartment I to piss tothe dust I" for distribution to the spacetobeheated. Theairdischargedbythe blower III in passing through the compartment II will absorb heat from the heat exchanger Ill, and in passing through the compartment I! will function to absorb moisture from the laundry or other material which is being tumbled in the drier The outlet 44 from the chamber 82 may be connected by a pipe I" to a suitable vent, and a manually controlled damper Ill maybe arranged in the outlet ll for controlling the discharge oi air from the compartment II. By positioning the damper III in closed or partially closed position, discharge 01' air and vapor may be so restricted as to generate a relatively high temperawtureinthecompartmentllsoastogeneratean atmosphere or steam or other vapor (or the pur- (use o: processing thematerlal arranged in the While the invention has been described with some detail, it is to be understoodthat the description is for the lllrposs or illustration only and is not definitive or the limits of the inventive idea. The right is reserved to make such changes in the details or construction and arrangement oi parts as will fall within the purview of the attached claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a cabinet having a chamber and an air passageway therein, the wall oi the cabinet having an air inlet for the admission of outside air into one end of said air passageway, a blower having its inlet communicating with said passageway, a motor for actuating the blower, a rotary drier located within said chamber, a driving connection between said drier and said motor for actuating said drier during operation of said motor, a heat exchange device arranged in the path of air discharged by said blower, said chamber havin an inlet connected with the discharge side of said blower. said passageway having an outlet for discharging heated air externally of said cabinet. a damper for selectively controlling the passage of air into said chamber through the inlet thereof or through said outlet, and common control means for shiiting said damper to close said inlet and for breaking said driving connection. said chamber being provided with an air outlet therefrom.

2. In a device oi the character described, a cabinet having an air passage and a chamber thereimsaidehamberbeingprovidedwithanairoIItlet thereirom, the wall 01' the cabinet having an airinletior the admissionoloutside airintoone end oi said air passage, a blower having its inlet communicating with said air passa e. a motor lor actuating the blower, a rotary drier located within said chamber and adaptedtobeactuatedbysaid motor, a heating chamber connected with the discharge side of the blower so as to receive air diacharged therefrom, a damper controlled opening between said chambers for controlling the passage of heated air from said heating chamber into said other chamber, a driving connection including a clutch between said motor and drier for driving the latter, said clutch being controlled coincidentally with said damper controlled opening sothat said drierisarranged to bedriven bysaid motor when said damper controlled opening is open. said heating chamber being Provided with another opening through which air is discharged externally of said cabinet when said damper controlled opening is closed, and means for preventing the driving of said drier by said motor when said damper controlled opening is closed.

3. In a device of the character described. a cabinet, a chamber therein, a clothes tumbler in said chamber, said chamber being provided with an air inlet and a vent, a heat exchange device, an air passageway through said cabinet having an inlet communicating with the exterior thereof and an outlet for discharging air therefrom, a heater in said passageway for heating air as it circulates therethrough a blower for circulating air through said passageway, said chamber inlet communicating with said i 1 on the downstream side oi said heater, a motor connected with said blower and said tumbler for actuating the same, damper mean for selectively closing said chamber inlet or said outlet of said passageway, a control for said damper means, and means actuated by the positioning of said damper means to close said chamber inlet for preventing the motor from actuating said tumbler.

4. In a device of the character described, a cabinet, internal walls i'orming a drying chamberthereinatthe upperendthereoi. andatleast partoianairpassagewamablowerarrangedin thebaseofsaidcabinetandhavingitsinlet communicating with said passageway, said cabinet being provided with an opening for admitting air to said passageway and an air outlet therefrom, a heat exchange device arranged in said eway and below said drying chamber and having heat generating means associated therewith, said chamber being provided with an inlet communicatingwithsaidpassagewayonthedownstream side of said heat exchange device and a vent, a damper adapted to be positioned for closing said inlet or said outlet, a manual control therefor, a motor for driving said blower, a rotary clothes tumbler in said chamber, a driving connection between said motor and said tumbler, and means operated by said manual control for breahng said connection when said chamber inlet is closed.

5. In a device of the character described, a cabinet having a chamber and an air eway therein,thewall ofthecabinethavinganairinlet for the admission of outside air into one end of said air way, an air blower having its inlet communicating with said i 1 way, a rotary drier located within said chamber, a power driving means constructed and arranged for simultaneously driving said blower and drier, a heatingdevicearrangedinthepathoiairdischarged by said blower during the operation thereof, said chamber having an inlet connected with the discharge side of said blower, said passageway having an outlet for discharging heated air externally of said cabinet, a damper operable for selectively controlling the passage of air into said chamber through the inlet thereo! or through said outlet, and common control means operatively associated with said power driving means and said damper operable for shifting said damper to close said chamber inlet and simultaneously therewith eiiecting the discontinuance of the driving of said rotary drier by said power driving means without discontinuing the driving of said blower thereby, said chamber being provided with an air outlet therefrom.

EARL B. HOUGH. 

